Heat or vulcanizing device



mms3@ R. W. BROWN HEAT OR VULCANIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1925 A TTORNE Y.

5 Sheets-Sheet l R. W. BROWN 'HEAT on VULGANIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. e, 1925 5 sheets-sheet 2 feg ATTORNEY,

Nw. 1", m27; 5647,33?

R. W. BROWN HEAT' OR VULCANIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Nav.' 1, 1927. 1,647,339 R. W. BROWN HEAT OR .VULCANIZING` DEVICE Filed Feb. 9. 1925 l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ze /za m IN VEN TOR.

'A TTORNEY.

Nov. l, 1927. 1,647,339

R. w. BROWN HEAT OR VULCANIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1925 5 sheets-Sheet. 5 Y

INVENTOR.

Ro Y W BROWN' EQ2-6 By.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. l, 1%27. l

ROY XV. BROWN, 0F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRESTONE TIREAND RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO.A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

HEAT 0R VULCANIZING DEVICE.

This invention relates to heating and vulcanizing devices and lparticularly to horizon tal or other` heaters for curing articles underA the pressure of the vulcanizing medium only. The present invention is particularly adapted to heaters or vulcanizers for Vulcanizing boots and shoes.

Heretofore it has been proposed to vufl canize articles ofthe class described in heaters through which the curing medium, such as air or other gases, is circulated at atmosv pheric or higher pressures. `Various devices culated through the vulcanizer.

featuresof which may be applied tothe for this purpose have been used, one'type of device being a vulcanizer formed as a `iacketed cylinder through the jacket of which a heating medium, such as steam, has been circulated to warm the air or other gases cir One object of the present invention is to provide an improved vulcanizer, some of the above type of vulcanizer whereby better results are secured, but Which preferably is adapted to a structure in Whiclrthe heating medium is passed through a separate heater vin a circuit With the vulcanizer.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in a vulcanizer adapted to thoroughly and uniformly mix the heating medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide means adapt-ed to protect rubber or other articles to be heat treated from the local action of a heating medium, such as f steam, in a jacketed vuicanizer or from the local cooling action on articles supported in non-jaclreted heaters near the Walls of the heaters. l

, Another object of the invention is to provide a steam heater for air or other gas in combination with the vulcanizer whereby moisture of'the steam cannot mix with the air and affect-the articles to be treated by thel air.

The foregoing and other objects will be Application filed February 9, 1925. Serial No. 7,736.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged` end elevation thereof;

`Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section on line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse section on line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a transverse section similar to that shown in Figure 4 but illustrating the invention as employed in a forni of heater now generally employed.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents a horizontal 'xxilcanizer composed of Aa plurality of cylindrical sections i1,111 which maybe butt jointed as at 12, the joints 12 being sealed by rings indicated at 13. The vulcanizer is sealed at one end by a section 14 and at the other end 15 by asuitable door ,i

(not shown).

As is usual in horizontal vulcanizer constructions, .a track including rails 16, 16 is arranged in the bottom portion of the vulcanizer 10, but in this particular construction the rails 16 are supported by brackets 17, 17 adapted to space the` rails out of engage# nient with the Wall of the vulcanizer so'tha-t there will be a substantial space beneath them as indicated at 1S, 18.

For circulating a heated gas suchas air throughthe vulcanizer 10, a suitable fanior blower 19 is employed, the discharging; side of the blower 19 being connected to a header 2O from which extends a number of branches 21, 21 for conducting the air or gasto spaced points in the top of heater 10. Branches 21 are connected to suitable `fittings 22 secured on the vulcanizer 10 over inlet openings' 28 (Figure 4) through which the air or other gases are conducted into the vulcanized'.v

Arranged in the vulcanizer 1G is a baille 24 for carrying the entering airA or gases about' the vulcanizer close to tl'ie'outer 'walls on both sides thereof so that a layeru offheated air or. gas will insulate the interior of the vulcanizer from the outer atmosphere. The baille 24 preferably extends about the WallA of the `viilc'anizer in close relation thereto down to the rails 16, under which the air will pass from behind the battle into the chamber proper of the vulcanizer. Since the air will be directed in opposed currents .betWeenft-he A rails, it Wi'll tendto uniformly mix as indicated by the arrows in Fig' will rise in the vulcaniaer.;` i. esgrime@ of .ae i

' -the inlets 23 there are arranged a suitable 'number of outlets/25 (Figure 5) which are formed by fittings 26 orconductingthe air header 30. i

' Theheader 30 is connected t'o a heater in- 'dicated in generalby the numeral 3l and formed oa heater header 31%`- connected to a series of pipes 32,32 through which the vul Y canizing medium is conducted, the pipes 32 being non-jointed and surrounded by pipes 33, 33 throughwliicli a heating medium, such as'ste'am may. be circulated in any suitable mannerI The pipes 32 are connected vto 'a vsecond heater header 31h which is connected;4 n

Y likely to be deteriorated by moisture.

to the entering side of fan or blower l9.

In the iorin of the invention shown in Fig' ure 6, the baille 24 is mounted in a steam shell vulcanizer 35 chambered as at- 36 for the reception of steam. The air -inay be circulated through this vulcanizer by similar apparatuf; to 'that described above with'the ex- -ception that heater 3l will not be used. "In this :form the layer 'of 'entering air lwill rap- 36 and. will insulate the chamber from local action ctt the steam jacket on rubber articles supported adjacent thewalls of -the Vul- "caniaeri a.

In practising the preferred method with`- either forni of apparatus,tlie articles usually on mandrels or lasts'are supported on a suit-v able truck (not shown) which is run into the lyulcanizer onto tracks 16, the end 'l5 of the vvulcanizer being then sealed. Air or otherl gas is circulated through the vulcanizei", the

air being` heated to the desired temperature of eure and preferably being at higher th-an '.atinospheriepressures at'the start of the process -tocoinpaet the'articles onto the 'mandrels and prevent blistering. The -air is divided into two currentsbfyf baiiie 24, the currentsbeing carried around the wall of the' vulcanizeron opposite side thereof unt-il they are directed from .beneath the rails 16: against each other whereupon they 'thoroughly mix and-assume a uniform temperature and pass upwardly about thearticles to be vulcanized. y

After an initial. curing period at higher pressures and before the coinbinedheali and pressure of the aircan deteriorate the rub ber or the coatings ordinari-ly applied to boot and shoe goods, thepressure of the .'cir.- culatingair'- is reduced to substantially atmospheric at which pressure the air is keptx until the' vulcanization is coinplete.l

It will be seen that the baille 24 serves tol vprovide intimate mixture of thecirculating gases in the lieater,it also. forms a layerv of rapidly changing air about the Vulcanizer which will protect articles' closeto itswalls from either under-cure in the case of the noemen vulcanizei' 'l0 or over cure.in the case o the vulcanizer 3 6, and also all the articles '.ror'n lthe direct action of the spaced entering currents oi air. lVi-ththe use of the baiileg' in the vulcanizer 36 there is the additional advantage that the 'air is travelingjr at considerable velocity over the inner suniaces of chamber 36 and thus rapidlyand.

ell'ec'tively comes up' to the desired curing temperature. v

Heating of the air in heater 3l is preferred for the reason that by the arrangement shown7 there being no 4joints in pipes 32,

there will be' tendency for steam to leali'. into..

the circulating air and thus ruin such article'T asboots and shoes not yet cured and the coatings oiE which vin the 'uncuredstate are gas first oyerthe articles and then about the l walls of the vulcanizer,

lNhat'is claimed is:

l. Heating and Vulcanizing apparatus lcomprising a chamber, means for circulating a heated iiuid through the chamber, ana

-ineans for causing the'uid to taire a phirality of paths downwardly about the chainber close to itswalls, to then direct the plurality of currents against each other innthe bottoni of the chamber to thoroughly mi2: the same and finally to permit the mixed our rentsto pass upwardly over the articles to be treated.. l

2. A Vulcanizing apparatus comprising a cliamben'aii inlet4 adjacent the top o' the chamber and a baille in the chamber beneath Mil) the inle'tand extendingh about the chamber -in close relation tothe walls thereof and terminating at points on each side ofthe chamber-closely adjacent the bottom the.'

chamber. I i

A horizontal V-ulcaniz'er comprising a chamber, an inlet. adjacent the top ot the chamber', and a baille in the chai'nber bcneath the-inlet Ato direct uids entering the inlets in' paths downwardly aboutfboth sides of'tlie'chainber adjacent-its wall; l f

L A horizontal vulcanizer comprising'a chamber, an inlet adjacent the top of the chamber, and a baille -iii the chamber beneath the inlet, 'said baille extending in close vrelation to the walls of the chamber on both .sides thereofv anti ;eriiiv cent the bottoni tiieieolE to direct fluid admit-ted through the inlet into opposed streams at'the bottom ot the vulcaniizer1 '5. A horizontal vulcanizcrcomprising chamber, a track in the bottoni ofthe cham? ber,'the rails oit'said track being spaced trein ,the bottoni oi''tlie chamber, an inlet adjacciit 3 ving closely adja-' the top `of the chamber aude bae bemevat'h the inlet and formed so as rto extend in close relation to the. Wall of the Chamber' Jrom one rail to the other of the. truck.

6.. A vulcuuzer appeljatus including :L vuleeuzer, mesme for ,oirculmug air orother gases thl'ellloug'g, and ,a heuteif' in theebeulatmg system Ylucludl'ug e, series ofi jack ated pipes,

. 7. 'A vuleunizing apparatus including:1.10

Vulcauizer, means for circulating air o1' other gases therethrough, and a.. heaterkm the cn'- culutug system including a, Salies, of steam jacket/ed plpes, Saud plpes bemg lomtless n whereby leakage of steam luto the :system M is prevented. 

